Accessible transport: legal obligations

Transport Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 2 Feb 2023 Closed: 4 Mar 2026 Parliament page
A variety of legal obligations to ensure accessibility apply to transport operators and local licensing authorities across different modes of transport, and the Transport Committee has conducted an inquiry into these legal obligations and whether they are being met. The Committee published their report on Thursday 20 March 2025 Read … Read more
18 Recommendations
11 Conclusions
4 Reports
5 Oral sessions
19 Letters
5 Events
Activity timeline 37 events
21 Jan
2026
Correspondence
2 Jul
2025
Correspondence
13 Jun
2025
Report published
13 Jun
2025
Report published
13 Jun
2025
Report published
13 Jun
2025
Report published
13 Jun
2025
Correspondence
20 Mar
2025
Report published
20 Mar
2025
Report published
20 Mar
2025
Report published
20 Mar
2025
Report published
21 Feb
2024
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
13 Dec 2023
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Anthony Browne · Department for Transport Guy Opperman · Department for Transport Huw Merriman · Department for Transport John Kirkpatrick · Equality and Human Rights Commission Liz Wilson · Department for Transport
22 Nov 2023
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Anna Bowles · Civil Aviation Authority Councillor Linda Taylor · Local Government Association Jacqueline Starr · Rail Delivery Group Karen Dee · Airport Operators Association Loveday Ryder · DVSA Mr Keith McNally · Confederation of Passenger Transport Ms Alison Smith · Network Rail and Great British Railways Transition Team Rob Griggs · Airlines UK Stephanie Tobyn · Office of Rail and Road
25 Oct 2023
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Caroline Stickland · Transport for All Catherine Casserley · Cloisters Chambers Doug Paulley, Accessible transport campaigner Professor Anna Lawson · School of Law, University of Leeds Stephen Brookes MBE · Disability Rights UK
13 Sep 2023
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Accessible transport: ticket office closures
Andy Mellors · Avanti West Coast Anthony Smith · Transport Focus Christopher Brooks · Age UK David Horne · London and North Eastern Railway Company Katie Pennick · Transport for All Louise Rubin · Scope Mick Lynch · National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers (RMT) Richard Allan · Chiltern Railways Simon Moorhead · Rail Delivery Group Stephanie Tobyn · Office of Rail and Road
14 Jun 2023
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Alan Benson MBE Christiane Link Stephen Anderson The Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE
Recommendations & Conclusions
2 results
Clear
27 Conclusion Not Addressed
1st Report – Access denied: rights…
Effective enforcement routes for street environment accessibility are absent and insufficient.
There appears to be no effective or easily available enforcement route for accessibility in the street environment in particular. There is instead a reliance on upstream measures such as local authorities following good practice, consulting effectively and having “due regard” … Read more
Government Response
The government's response broadly discusses reiterating the importance of accessibility duties to regulators and establishing a forum to improve accountability and enforcement, but it does not specifically address the lack of effective enforcement routes for accessibility in the street environment.
Department for Transport
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29 Recommendation Not Addressed
1st Report – Access denied: rights…
Review roles of transport accessibility enforcement bodies and legislate for consistent, sufficient powers.
The Department should within 12 months review the roles of enforcement bodies with responsibilities for transport accessibility and prepare to legislate where necessary: • to ensure that all have consistent and sufficient powers at their disposal, and have both the … Read more
Government Response
The government's response focuses on reiterating accessibility duties in annual leadership letters to Arm's-length Bodies and envisaging an accessibility charter, but does not address the recommendation to review the roles and powers of enforcement bodies within 12 months or consider legislation for consistent powers and coverage.
Department for Transport
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Government Response AI assessment · 29 of 18 classified
Accepted 10
Accepted in Part 5
Acknowledged 7
Deferred 4
Not Addressed 2
Rejected 1
Total 18 recs + 11 conclusions
Correspondence 19 letters
21 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from the Minister for Rail relating to accessibility at stations, dated 15 January 2026
Parliament page
2 Jul 2025 To committee Letter from the Secretary of State for Transport relating to the Government response to accessible transport report, dated 26 June 2025
Parliament page
13 Jun 2025 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Secretary of State for Transport relating to the Government's response to the Committee's report on accessible transport, dated 11 June 2025
Parliament page
21 Feb 2024 Correspondence from the Minister for Maritime International and Security relating to maritime accessibility, dated 31 January 2024
Parliament page
21 Feb 2024 Correspondence from the Deputy Chief Executive, EHRC relating to accessible transport evidence, dated 13 January 2024
Parliament page
21 Feb 2024 Correspondence from Chair to Minister for Maritime International and Security, Department for Transport relating to maritime accessibility, dated 11 January 2024
Parliament page
24 Jan 2024 Correspondence from the Operations Director, Confederation of Passenger Transport relating to accessible transport follow-up evidence, dated 18 December 2023
Parliament page
17 Jan 2024 Correspondence from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport relating to oral evidence session follow-up from 13 December 2023, dated 12 January 2024
Parliament page
17 Jan 2024 Correspondence from the Traffic Commissioner relating to Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000, dated 19 December 2023
Parliament page
22 Nov 2023 Correspondence from the Minister for Rail, Department for Transport, relating to rail ticket office closures, dated 14 November 2023
Parliament page
15 Nov 2023 Correspondence from the Managing Director, Chiltern Railways relating to rail ticket office closures, dated 8 November 2023
Parliament page
23 Oct 2023 Correspondence from the Chair of the Committee to the Minister for Rail relating to proposals for rail ticket office closures, dated 20 October 2023
Parliament page
20 Oct 2023 Correspondence from the Chief Information Officer, Rail Delivery Group relating to rail ticket office closures, dated 9 October 2023
Parliament page
20 Oct 2023 Correspondence from the Managing Director, Chiltern Railways relating to rail ticket office closures, dated 11 October 2023
Parliament page
20 Oct 2023 Correspondence from the Managing Director, LNER relating to rail ticket office closures, dated 11 October 2023
Parliament page
20 Oct 2023 Correspondence from the Managing Director, Avanti West Coast Railways relating to rail ticket office closures, dated 11 October 2023
Parliament page
19 Sep 2023 Correspondence from the Chief Executive, LNER, relating to Accessible transport - rail ticket office closures, dated 19 September 2023
Parliament page
12 Sep 2023 Correspondence from Chair to the Rail Minister relating to rail ticket offices, dated 27 July 2023
Parliament page
12 Sep 2023 Correspondence from the Rail Minister relating to rail ticket offices, dated 11 September 2023
Parliament page